Automatic well flowing device



@ct. H, W32. A. BOYNTON AUTOMATIC WELL FLOWING DEVICE Filed NOV. 11,1927 INVENTOR J Bog/lawn ATTORNEY Patented ll n, tea

ALEXANDER BGYNTON, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS auromarrc WELL FLOWING nuvrouApplication filed November 11, 1927. Serial No. 232,656.

of the volume of fluid admitted to the liquid elevating conduit as thediiferential pressure increases. I

Further the invention contemplates a differential pressure actuatedvalve apparatus embodying a plurality of passages which are successivelyrestricted to permit a predetermined gradually decreasing volume ofpressure fluid to pass to the liquid elevating 'conduit before the valveelement finally closes or seals oii'.

With the preceding and other objects and advantages in mind theinvention consists in the combination of elements, constructions andarrangement of parts and operations to be hereinafter specificallyreferred to, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the flowingapparatus the h ing in the open position,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the'valve plunger inthe closed position,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the plunger end guide this being oneof the elements embodied in the invention, and

Figure 4 is a or valve element.

Referring to the invention in detail a valve body 5 for threadedconnectibn with the adjacent ends of the well tubing sections 6 isprovided. A longitudinally extending bore or valve-chamber 7 is providedin an enlargement of the valve body 5 this chamber having a reduced area8 which communicates with the conduit of 'the'va'lve body 5 by wayvalveplunger bei should be .010.

perspective of the plunger of a transverse fluid pressure outlet port 9and is formed with a valve seat 10 below this port.

Secured withln the bore at predetermined points therein is a' pluralityof rings or annuli 11 which are pressed or otherwise provided within thebore. These rings are of the same diameter, but excepting the uppcrmostare graduated in length. That is, the rings gradually decrease in lengthbeginning with the lower one, while the uppermost ring is of the samelength as the ring next below. As a practical illustration the lowerring may be three-eighths inch long, the second five-sixteenths, thethird one quarter and the fourth or upper ring one quarter. .These ringsconstitute a plurality of communicating passages.

Clo-operating with the rings or annuli in regulating the flow of fluidpressure through the bore is a cylindrical plunger 12 which is movablecentrally through the rings or annuli and terminates in a stem 13 atitsupper end which projects through the reduced area 8 of the bore. -Aplurality of circular heads 14 graduated in diameter are formed on theplunger at such predetermined intervals as to successivelyenter therings or annuli and remain within the latter. until, the head next inorder above occupies'a po-' *i sition within its corresponding ring.

The diflerence between the diameter of up? per plunger enlargement 14and opening through bushing 11 difierence between the diameter'of thenext lower plunger enlargement, also numbered .14, and the next bushing,also numbered 11,

g The difl'erence between-the next lower plunger enlargement and bushingshould be .015. between the bottonr plungerenlargement andthe bottombushing should be .020". All these dimensionsmay vary -002 or .003"either larger or smaller. n

These heads are of the same length as their corresponding annuli, whilethe uppermost head constitutes a valve element 15 havinga I bevelledface 16 to seat upon the seat10to should, be .005f'.- The The differencein diameter seal the bore when the differential pressure is suflicient.to be observed that"'the' circular heads or plunger enlargements 14 ,endof the bore 22. However, initial diflerare provided with bevelled ortapering ends 14*.

A bushing 17 is threaded in the lower end of the bore and receives thelower end 18 of the plunger, the latter having spiral wings 19 whichcontact with the bore of the bushing to hold the lower end of theplunger in a co-axial position within the bore or valve chamber.

A convex thimble 20 having an enlarged base 21 is arranged in the bore 7above the port 9 and has a central guide bore 22 which receives andguides the upper end of the stem 13 and co-acts with the bushing 17. inkeeping the plunger in a co-axial position with respect to the walls ofthe bore so that the heads 14: will at all times be in proper relationto the'rings or annuli.

For the purpose of resisting the effort of the plunger to rise so thatthe valve element will engage the seat 10 and seal off at apredetermined differential pressure an expansible coil spring 23 isarranged in the upper end of the bore with one end encircling thethimble and bearing against its base and its other end abutting a plug24 threaded in the upper end of its bore.

Length of the coil spring should be 5" to 6", wrapped four to six coilsto the inch. The diameter of the spring coil should be from to 7 Thedistance of the spring compression should be from A to 1".

The devices should be so spaced in the tubin string that the weight offluid in the tubing between adjacent devices is from onefourth toone-half as much asthe pressure per square inch required to compress thespring and thereby force the plunger to sealing-off engagement upon itsupper seat. For illustration, assume theweight of the fluid between anytwo adjacent devices to be 30 lbs. p'er square inch, then the pressureper square inch required to compress the spring and sealofi' the plungerupon its upper seat should be 60 lbs. to 120 lbs.

The above spacinggives the best results and states the spacung rulecorrectly, but flow will be initiated and maintained if the weight ofthe fluid per square inch between the valves is only slightly less thanthe pres sure per square inch required to compress the springsufliciently to cause the plunger to seal-off upon its upper seat. Forillustration, assume the weight of the fluid between any two adjacentdevices to be 30 lbs. per square inch, then'the pressure per square inchrequired to compress the spring until the plunger seals-off upon itsupper seat must be slightly over 30 lbs. and should, as first stated, befrom 60 lbs. to 120 lbs. The operation may be readily understood. \Vhenthere is no pressure acting upon the plunger it rests upon the bushing17 with the upper end of the stem spaced from the base ential pressureraises the plunger a predetermined distance to engage the upper end ofthe stem with the thimble to place the coil spring under compression.

At this time the heads are in advance of their. respective rings orannuli and allow a maximum volume of pressure fluid to pass through thebore and into the conduit 5. As the differential pressure increases theheads successively enter their respective rings or passages gradually orstep by step restricting the flow of fluid through the rings or passagesuntil the valve element finally engages the seat to seal the bore.

It has been pointed out that the plunger enlargements 14 are ofsuccessively graduated diameters in the upward direction. The reader canreadily conceive a modification wherein the enlargements are all ofexactly the same diameter While the bushings 11 may be made of differentdiameters. This arrangement will merely constitute an inversion of thearrangement dsclosed in Figures 1 and 2. Exactly the same result will beobtained. It is regarded unnecessary to illustrate the lattermodification because the principle is readily understood from thedescription.

In either event the valve apparatus will comprise a chamber providedwith a plurality of restrictions in which chamber is operable a plungeror valve element having a plurality of enlarged sections. These enlargedsections co-act with the restricted sections afforded by the sleeves 11in the valve chamber in such manner as to permit the flow of relativelylarge volumes of pressure fluid during periods of lowpressuredifferentials. On the same principle the valve apparatus willperchamber, a spring capable of resisting the plunger, a stem on theplunger, and a thimble having a base upon which one end of the springbears, and having a guide bore receiving the stem and in respect towhich the stem and plunger have limited initial movement before thefunction of the spring is exercised.

chamber with a reduced area having a port, said area dividing thechamber 1nto upper 2. A valve comprising a body having a and lowerportions, a plunger operable in the lower portion to effect a volumetriccontrol of fluid flowing through said port, a stem on the plungerextending through said area to the upper portion, a spring situated inthe upper portion capable of resisting the plunger and a thimble havingan enlarged base receiving one end-of the spring and being seated on thebottom of the upper portion, said ally stationed at varying distancesfrom the municating volume as the respectilve annuli when the plunger isquiescent.

5. A valve comprising a body having a chamber with annuli, and a plungeroperable through the annuli having a plurality of heads initiallystationed at successively different distances from certain edges of theannuli when the plunger is quiescent, said heads being bevelled at thoseends that will co-act with said edges of the annuli.

6. A valve comprising a body having a bore, means forming a plurality ofcompassages, and a fluid pressure responsive plunger in the borecarrying a plurality of heads of graduated areas so spaced on theplunger as to successively enter the passages and restrict their normalplunger is moved in one direction.

7. A valve comprising a body having a passages, a plunger shiftable inone direction in the bore by pressure fluid passing through Bexar andState &

9. A valve comprising a valve chamber, annuli disposed in the chamber,and a plunger movable through the annuli and having cylindrical heads ofincreasing areas to suecessively enter the annuli to restrict theirnormal volume as the plunger movestherethrough.

10. A valve comprising a valve chamber, annuli of graduated lengths inthe chamber, a plunger movable through the annuli and having heads ofgradually increasing areas along its length to successively enter theannuli to restrict their normal volume as the plunger movestherethrough.

11 A valve comprising a valve body hava valve element operable ing apassageway, in the passageway by the pressure of fluid flowing therein,and associated sets of cylindrical formations both upon the passagewayand valve element, the efi'ective diameters of one of the sets offormations varying in progression from one end to the other of saidpassageway to provide variable effective passages for the throttling ofthe by-passing fluid.

Signed at San Antonio inthe county of of Texas this 22d day of Oct. A.D. 1927.

ALEXANDER BOYNTON.

the inlet, having a plurality of circular heads 7 changing in positionwith respect to the passages to restrict the flow of pressure fluid'therethrough incident to the movement of "the plunger, and a valveelement on the plunger to engage the valve seat after the, 7 plunger hasbeen moved a predetermined 1 distance.

-8. A valve comprising a body having a bore, with an-inlet and an outletand a valve seat intermediate its ends and further provided withcircular longitudinally aligned passages, a plunger shiftable in onedirection in the bore by pressure fluid passing through the inlet, andhaving a plurality of circular heads of progressively graduateddiameters successively entering the passages to restrict the flow ofpressure fluid therethrough incident to the movement of the plunger, avalve element on the plunger to engage the valve seat after the beenmoved a predetermined distance, and a spring resisting the effort of theplunger to move in one direction.

plunger has

